22 Benefits of a Website for Small Businesses Updated 2022

Do I Need a Website for My Small Business? Yes, You Do. Here are 8 Reasons Why.

If you’re a business owner on the fence about creating a website, I’ll save you some time—you need one. A good one. A professionally designed, lead-catching, sales-increasing, brand-differentiating website.

Consumer behavior changes over time to adapt to modern technology, and consumer behavior has changed to adapt to the digital age. I’ll give you an example—the Yellow Pages. The telephone was a disruptive new technology in the late 1800s and changed the way consumers did business. As more and more households began to use the telephone directory to find local products and services, business owners realized advertising in it was a smart bet. By the 1930s, advertising in the Yellow Pages was standard operating procedure for most businesses. It made perfect sense—the majority of U.S. households used the directory on a daily basis.

Then came the world wide web and a new disruption to the commercial status quo: the digital transformation. As more and more consumers realized they could find what they needed online faster and more effectively than a phone book, behavior shifted away from using the printed directory. By 2011, 70 percent of all Americans rarely or never used printed phone directories. Also in 2011, more than 59 percent of consumers were already going online to find local businesses.

Fast-forward to 2019, and the number of consumers that go online to find a local business has jumped to 97 percent. If you want them to choose your company, you need to be found online—meaning you need a website.

Why You Need a Website in 2019—No Matter What Industry You’re In

Why do small businesses not have a website?

A study commissioned by Verisign concluded nearly two-thirds of consumers believe a business with a website is more credible than a company without one. Despite this, some small business owners choose not to have a website for various reasons, including:

1. Cultivate a professional web presence

Rather than just being the corner shop or local business down the street, having a website—especially one with an appealing web design —gives the impression you are serious and ready to do business with all kinds of customers. After all, a well-made website can lead to business success .

2. Become an information resource

If your business is in a niche industry, having a website allows you to build your reputation as an authority in your field. Create a blog section with informative articles and link to it on your landing page.

Potential customers doing a Google search on common problems related to your industry will be more likely to find you. Plus, after they read your blog articles, they’ll see how helpful you can be to them.

According to a HubSpot survey , 56 percent of consumers reported a blog influenced their decision to make a purchase. Even if those who read these blog posts don’t become customers right away, you’ve spread the name of your business without spending a dime on traditional advertising or marketing campaigns.

Whenever possible, describe your services in your blog posts and include a call to action (CTA). For example, if you are a plumber, include multiple mentions of “affordable plumbing services,” so anyone searching that phrase is more likely to discover your website. The CTA can be as simple as a button or link that says “schedule an appointment” to convert new customers.

3. Own your name

You can also get a unique business email that will add to that sense of branding (e.g., [email protected]). Many website hosting providers will include custom email addresses as part of their offerings.

4. Improve SEO rankings

When performing a search through sites like Google, Bing, or Yahoo, you will see a list of websites related to your search. You can apply many SEO (search engine optimization) tactics to your website to improve its rankings on those search engines, helping to generate free traffic and sales. Boost SEO with helpful, fresh content posted in your website’s blog section.

5. Increase leads from online

Increasing visitors to your website is good, but gaining customers is even better. With a well-optimized and mobile-friendly website , you get your potential leads to call, sign up, or purchase a product from your company. You can turn your website into a leading salesperson for your company.

6. Develop a mailing list

Once you have a website built, add a form for people to sign up for your mailing list or newsletter. This will give you an easily accessed database of potential customers to advertise to. According to a 2020 study, 78 percent of marketers considered email essential to their company’s overall success.

7. Save money on printing

Paper catalogs and brochures can still be helpful in point-of-sale situations, but what if item information changes? It is more efficient to have all relevant info on your website, where it will be much cheaper to edit and revise. A combination of print and web marketing materials will likely be the most cost-effective way forward.

8. Reach online consumers

Since most people can access the internet, even having a basic landing page as your business website is helpful. For many consumers, if they can’t find something online, it doesn’t exist as far as they are concerned. A web presence means being able to reach people where they are. That includes smartphones:

Most websites these days can automatically adjust to fit both smartphone and desktop computer screens. If most of your customers seem to always have a smartphone in their hand, then it is a good idea to be able to reach them directly.

9. Tell your unique story

Run a family business started by mom or dad? Been around for decades? Let people know about it and build their trust. Displaying a sense of creativity and authenticity can be an advantage that larger enterprises will find difficult to replicate.

10. Create a new selling opportunity with mail orders & e-commerce

If your business sells products that can be delivered by mail order, consider investing in an e-commerce store or online shopping section for your website. Some companies will build this section for you.

Продвинутые возможности для вашего сайта

Интернет магазин

Ведение блога

Домен

Запись онлайн

Logo Maker

Инструменты SEO

Управляйте и развивайте
любимое дело онлайн

Конструктор сайтов Wix — это комплексная платформа, где собраны разнообразные инструменты для бизнеса и продвижения. Улучшайте конверсию и получайте больше лидов благодаря email-рассылке , рекламе в Facebook , лендингам и системе управления клиентами. Отслеживайте результаты и принимайте взвешенные решения с помощью данных и статистики из Аналитики Wix .

Конструктор Wix — это удобный и эффективный способ создать сайт и оставаться на связи со своими клиентами. Наша комплексная платформа для создания сайтов включает более 800 дизайнерских шаблонов, продвинутые инструменты SEO, а также круглосуточную поддержку.

Продавайте товары и услуги, принимайте бронирования и получайте оплату от клиентов онлайн. Используйте встроенные возможности маркетинга и систему управления клиентами для еще более эффективных продаж.

Sources:

https://www.bluecorona.com/blog/do-i-need-a-website/
https://broadly.com/blog/benefits-of-a-website-for-small-businesses/
https://www.wix.com/